In Joseph L. Smith v. Providence Health & Services – Oregon, the court will consider whether a claim of “loss of chance” is a legitimate and proper cause of action in a personal injury action.

In State of Oregon v. Justin James Schiller-Munneman, the court will hear an appeal of a first-degree rape case an consider (1) whether the admission of evidence that the defendant did not respond to text messages sent to him by the victim—at the request of police—violate his right to remain silent under Article I, section 12, of the Oregon Constitution, and (2) whether a criminal defendant's nonresponse to text messages sent to him by the victim is admissible non-hearsay as a statement of a party opponent under OEC 801(4)(b)(A).

Each year, the Oregon Supreme Court brings cases to the state’s three law schools as part of their efforts to connect Oregonians with the work of the judicial system. Making the appellate process more accessible both enhances understanding of the role that courts play in administering civil and criminal laws and improves citizens' access to justice.

Law and undergraduate students, faculty, staff and members of the public are welcome to attend the hearings, scheduled for 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. in the College of Law’s Courtroom, room 117, at Willamette University’s Truman Wesley Collins Legal Center, 245 Winter St SE, Salem, OR 97301. The court will answer students’ questions after oral arguments are heard.

Attendees are asked to arrive at 8:30 a.m. in order to be seated in the courtroom by 8:50. Doors will close promptly at 8:55 a.m. No one will be admitted once the court is in session.

About the Court

The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest court in the state’s judicial branch. Consisting of seven elected justices, members choose one of their own to serve a six-year term as Chief Justice. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the United States Supreme Court.

About Willamette University College of Law

Opened in 1883, Willamette University College of Law is the first law school in the Pacific Northwest. The college has a long tradition at the forefront of legal education and is committed to the advancement of knowledge through excellent teaching, scholarship, mentoring and experience. Leading faculty, thriving externship and clinical law programs, ample practical skills courses, and a proactive career placement office prepare Willamette law students for today's legal job market. According to statistics compiled by the American Bar Association, Willamette ranks first in the Pacific Northwest for job placement for full-time, long-term, JD-preferred/JD-required jobs for the class of 2014 and first in Oregon for the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014. Located across the street from the state capitol complex and the Oregon Supreme Court in downtown Salem, the college specializes in law and government, law and business, and dispute resolution.